PE Patient Case Story Martin Yates #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
Some background... The Wife Not The Wife! #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
On a cold snowy evening 14 years ago, we decide to very briskly walk to the pub.... Practice Nurse! ..and I get a pain in centre of chest!! #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
2 weeks later, an Angiogram done & 3 stents fitted....Angina problem solved..or so I thought... monitor monitor Stents x 3 monitor monitor #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
Fast forward 14 years to September 2015, 3 lawns to cut and “ouch, what’s that pain?”.... !! #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
October 2015...another Angiogram & this time it’s 2 choices, live or die? so 3 weeks later, it’s off to Papworth for a Triple Coronary Bypass...a major plumbing job...yuk! #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
Bypass successful, only 4 days in hospital but 12 hours after discharge, problems while having dinner! • Unable to lift right arm • Sharp stabbing pain in ribcage • Difficult to talk & breathe • Anxious Wife (Nurse) says “No time to waste, I’ll drive you to nearest A&E West Suffolk Hospital #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
It’s now 1am in the morning, two junior Dr’s and 1 consultant on duty.... • Bypass history explained • Vital signs taken, BP ok, Pulse 120 • Blood analysis done, D-Dimer raised • Chest X-Ray done, nothing found • PE suspected, CT Scan done at 2am • Consultant liases with Papworth Consultants over scan, small horseshoe shaped clot eventually detected visually #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
Admitted into Coronary Care Unit for 2 days due to Atrial Fibrillation (160bpm) • Immediate Heparin injection & put on Warfarin initially, but problems getting blood samples, so switched to Rivaroxaban • AF stabilised so moved to Chest ward, very depressing, surrounded by dying lung cancer patients! • Discharged 5 days later with a wad of “do’s & dont’s” leaflets (but can I ride my bike, fly a plane, cut the grass?) #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
Summary 10 days later, severe stabbing pain in right ribcage again, back to • A&E......Diagnosis, a “pulled muscle”!! Forum anxieties, who to talk to about VTE? • Conflicting Diagnosis (PE or strained rib muscle) • Thanks to the Papworth on-call, on-line cardiac support team • Blood “Thinners”, which one, what side effects? • PE?...I think I’ve had it easy, many others haven’t • So I’m now a Lay Member of the NICE Guidelines Committee on • Hospital Acquired VTE, representing patient & carer’s experiences & views ..and a Member of the Papworth Patient Experiences Panel • #ThinkThrombosis www.thrombosisuk.org
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